It is generally recognized that in many instances it is desirable to provide a means for storing a hose, such as a garden hose. It may not be necessary to use a hose at a considerable distance from a water source. In many application, it is only necessary to use a hose a short distance from the water source and then in another instance, use the hose a different distance from the water source. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a means for storing the hose with a free end which may have a nozzle attached thereto or may be adapted to be connected to another piece of equipment, such as a lawn sprinkler. The inlet to the hose should be connected to a source of fluid, such as, water, so that a selected length of hose may be removed from the storage device and the hose may be utilized. A device which is well-known for providing a means for storing a hose and being capable of connecting the hose to a source of water is a garden hose reel shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,312, issued June 16, 1953, to Thomas Shine. The Shine Patent teaches a hose reel wherein the inlet end of the hose may be secured to a source of water on the reel and the hose then may be wound onto the reel. This arrangement is perfectly advantageous for those arrangements wherein the hose may remain at a fixed location. However, when it is desirable to move the hose from one location to another, the Shine device does not lend itself to easy movement. Furthermore, it is to be noted that in the Shine device the weight of the hose and water is supported by the pipe which delivers the water.
An apparatus which provides a means for not only storing the hose, but also provides a means for transporting the hose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,626 to William E. Cowley, which patent issued on June 28, 1971, and is entitled "Transportable Hose Reel." The Cowley patent discloses a reel for storing hose which reel also provides a support for the entire device. The reel is mounted in a handle which may be positioned on a supporting surface in a manner which allows the reel to rotate on the handle. The reel is connected to a water supply through a hose section which delivers water to the reel and then to the hose mounted on the reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,939 to Ho Chow, issued Feb. 6, 1979, entitled "Hose Reel Cart", teaches a construction for a hose reel cart wherein a handle also provides a frame for supporting a hose reel. The hose reel receives a hose, and the frame has a pair of wheels for movably supporting the cart during transfer from one location to another. Both the Chow and Cowley devices have their supports provide a double function in that the support for the reel also provides a conduit for the water. It has been found in practice that when a reel is supported by a conduit, gasket material in the reel tends to wear quickly and thereby allow leaks to develop. It has also been found that the heretofore known reels are made of metal which has a tendency to rust when a protective surface becomes damaged or is worn away through usage. The reel tends to become rusty and not rotate freely. Also, other parts tend to become inoperative due to rusting.
It is also to be noted that in many instance, it is desirable to store the entire apparatus with the hose on it in a minimum of space. The Shine device is adapted to be mounted on a pipe. Thuse, the Shine device must be removed for storage. As to the Cowley and Chow devices, the devices may be conveniently moved to a storage location. However, the upwardly extending handles tend to take up space needlessly.